Leather & Lace: Volume One
by dixonbrothers
Summary: Just when you think you know everything about a person; you can be proven wrong in an instant. Some things are best kept secret but what happens when those things are brought to light too soon? [ Bethyl AU; No Walkers! Personalities may be somewhat OOC.]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is AU so no walkers will be present. Also, a few OCs will be mentioned here and there but they will be minor characters. This is a Bethyl fanfiction and if you do not like this ship; you will not like this story so don't read it. Rated M for sexual content, drinking, language, and some violence later on.**

* * *

The feeling of the cold breeze coming from the air conditioner inside The Warehouse was refreshing against Daryl's skin as he set foot inside the place. It was always a little surreal on the days when he had to go into work earlier than usual. To see the venue almost completely empty, with the exception of the people working inside, and an artist on stage doing sound check was a refreshing sight. By night fall, Daryl knew it would all change and the place would be jam packed with wannabe hipster teenagers waiting to see the latest artist. This time, the artist coming to play The Warehouse that evening would be playing there over the course of the following three nights, so Daryl knew his work was cut out for him.

"Oh, dude, I am so glad you're here," Daryl's friend and co-worker, Scott Thomas, called out as he approached Daryl. "So the chick playing her show here tonight is apparently a pretty big fuckin' deal and she was just interviewed on the radio - they called her the next Taylor Swift," Scott added, he couldn't finish the last part of his sentence without cracking up, however.

"Yeah, that- that's all I needed to hear today, man." Daryl replied, rolling his sapphire eyes behind his black sunglasses. As he followed Scott to the backstage area to clock in, Daryl was called out to by his boss and the man stopped in his tracks. "Yeah, Rick?" he responded, furrowing his brow as Rick told him to come into his office. Scott made a face as he watched Daryl walk into the room and shut the door.

"So this band comin' tonight," Rick began, watching as Daryl took a seat in one of the chairs next to his desk. "You're going to be working along side the lead singer, her name is Beth, and she's the star. So I'm going to expect you to do whatever she asks and keep her completely safe, got it?" Rick added, Daryl nodded quietly and exhaled through his nose.

"Why me?" Daryl questioned, wondering why after all this time - Rick suddenly wanted him to do some of the more difficult work around the place. This was the first time he would be working personal security for an artist so it was a little intimidating.

"Because you're competent enough for this job. You'll do fine if not great," Rick responded, flashing a small smile to Daryl and that was the minor ego boost the other man needed to get him motivated. Daryl nodded then stood up and headed back into the hallway where Scott was still waiting for him.

"Well?" Scott asked, expecting to find out what his friend would be doing that evening.

"I'm her personal security guard for the next three nights." Daryl confessed, faking a slight look of dread as he spoke, his tone sounding less than thrilled - even if he knew he would be getting paid a little more than usual. Truthfully, how he felt about the situation would rely strictly on how he was treated by this Beth girl, and if they got along then he was sure he would have a good time - even if he didn't want to show it.

"So you're the unlucky bastard that gets to be her babysitter!" Scott exclaimed, shaking his head as he started to laugh.

"At least I'm not working the bar for this damn thing like you," Daryl spat, sounding more annoyed as the moments passed but his friend let it slide. "I wonder how many fake I.D.s you'll have tossed your way this weekend?" He added, raising an eyebrow as he clocked in for work then headed back towards the front part of the venue.

"Adults will have bright orange wristbands on while anyone underage will not. No worries on my end," Scott retorted, he didn't like the idea of having such a small crowd at his bar either considering most of his pay came from the tips he would be given the next three nights. "At least, if I keep the parents entertained, I should be able to make some quick cash."

"Yeah.. if you're lucky."

* * *

Over the next three hours, Daryl spent his time working with the others to set up the venue for the concert while they waited on Beth to arrive with her band; as well as the opening acts for that night's show. Hearing Rick's voice come over his radio, Daryl listened as he was instructed to meet him around back, where the buses would be parked. "Good luck, man!" Scott commented, patting his friend on the shoulder as he went to get behind the bar to start preparing for the few adults that he would be serving.

Daryl walked through the back hallways of the large venue and headed for the bus parking lot. He was thankful for the sunglasses that remained on his face, they were shielding the blinding fluorescent lights hanging above, in the white painted halls. He almost felt a little nervous knowing he had such a big job to do but he knew he was able to do it. Or at least, he kept telling himself he was subconsciously.

As he opened the door, he was greeted by nightfall and street lights and buildings that lit the area from the roads above. He noticed that two unmarked buses were parked and that some of the roadies were loading gear inside to take to sound check. "How late is this supposed to start?" Daryl asked, Rick looked down at his watch seeing that Beth's bus still hadn't shown up and it was already eight o'clock that night.

He watched as Beth took her first steps out onto the pavement, from where he was standing he could only see the brown boots she had on. Then as she turned the corner, their eyes met instantly, from behind Daryl's sunglasses and she smiled at him. She tilted her head as she looked him over; wondering if that would be her security for the weekend. "Hello, Beth, I'm Rick Grimes. The owner and manager of The Warehouse! I've set up everything that you requested and if you need anything else, my friend Daryl here, will be happy to assist you!" Rick greeted, Daryl bit his lips softly as he looked the blonde over. The shade of her dress, a dark turquoise, complimented her perfect ivory skin. Need less to say, Daryl was taken aback by her beauty. "I believe you needed to be taken backstage to get settled in for the evening?" Rick added, trying to hint at his security guard to speak up soon.

"Um, yeah, come with me and we'll get you settled," Daryl finally spoke up, Beth smiled sweetly at the nervousness in his voice. He was obviously a very shy man and it showed through both his tone and body language. "I'm Daryl, by the way."

"Do you have a last name, Daryl?" Beth asked, keeping her tone of voice both friendly and slightly flirty as she watched him open the door for her. Once they stepped inside, the blonde winced at the bright lights inside the halls as she walked to her dressing room with her new security guard.

"- Dixon. Daryl Dixon," he replied softly, taking a right turn down another hallway as he thought of something to say but couldn't think of anything.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Daryl. Where are you from?" Beth questioned, she wanted to get to know the man in the bright, neon yellow shirt that she was having to spend time with, that way things wouldn't get too awkward. Daryl, however, didn't expect such a kindness to come from such a seemingly big music star. He was expecting to deal with another bratty, pain-in-the-ass try-hard that wanted to make it big in the industry. She already had apparently with a three night stop in Savannah's largest music venue, after all. When he had to deal with those types; usually he didn't like it at all and preferred his second job to his first one.

"You, too, Beth. You're a real breath of fresh air around here! Normally performers ain't so kind to us here at the venue," Daryl explained, finally cracking a very slight smile as he once again opened a door for her. This time it was to her dressing room. "I was born in Athens but I've lived in Savannah for the last few years." He added, answering her question.

Beth couldn't believe how big her dressing room was. Inside, there were two walls painted a dark gray and one contrasting wall painted red. On the walls were pictures of various famous musicians from Johnny Cash to the members of KISS. On one of the walls there was a large flat screen television that had been turned off and underneath was a desk set up with a router for wi-fi access. Then there was a large buffet table against the opposite wall, paper plates set aside with plastic cups, and various types of snacks as well as jugs of limeade, sweet tea, and sangria. "Daryl this is too much, I know I requested some things but you guys have given me the true star treatment and I don't feel like I deserve it at all. Thank you!" Beth exclaimed as she moved to sit down on the leather couch.

"What time are you supposed to do your signing or whatever?" Daryl asked, looking down at his watch noticing that it was fifteen til nine.

"Nine o'clock!" Beth replied softly, Daryl rubbed the back of his neck softly then motioned for her to walk with him. "We're leaving now?" She added, looking at him all wide eyed with her soft, sapphire blue eyes.

"Got to, it takes a few to get to the lounge from here! Let's go!" Daryl responded, watching as she got up and he quickly followed her back out into the halls of the backstage area.

* * *

Soon enough, the show was over for the night and Beth had returned to her dressing room once she had finished getting cleaned up in one of the venue's showers. Though she was tired, she had been asked by her band mates to go out for a late night dinner, and to get some drinks. She quickly slipped on a wine colored dress and nude heels then grabbed her bag as she headed back out to find Daryl.

"Damn it!" He exclaimed, punching one of the vending machines as hard as he could. "Fuckin' thing," he muttered bitterly, he was pissed because once again the same M&Ms machine ate his dollar. He hit it a second time then heard a thud down at the bottom. Leaning down, he grabbed the pack of sour Skittles he was trying to get just as he heard a familiar voice from behind.

"I'm ready to go! Did you get the driver to pull the car around back so I could leave that way?" She asked, Daryl nodded as he opened his Skittles. The moment she left the venue; she was no longer his problem until she returned.

"Guess I'll see you tomorrow night. Need to be headin' home, got stuff to do there before tomorrow's show," Daryl responded, pouring a few Skittles into his hand before popping them into his mouth. Beth hesitated to say anything for a moment as she looked around, just to see if anyone was near by, or if they were alone in the hall.

"How would you like to join me off the clock?" She suggested, offering him a soft sincere smile as their eyes made contact once more. Daryl knew he would have a hard time saying no to her but how could he? She was so nice to him and such a breath of fresh air. His boss, however, would flip out if he knew no matter how close they were outside of work. Inside The Warehouse; those two were co-workers, boss and employee, and clients were off-limits.

Daryl's heart raced in his chest slightly before he finally gave in. "Okay, yeah, I can do that. I need to go back to my place and change clothes first, though," he spoke softly. Beth beamed when she realized he said he would accompany her on her little night out with her band.

"Yeah, you can ride with me and we can make a stop at your place so you can change clothes, then we'll meet up with everyone. We have time," Beth replied eagerly.

* * *

Daryl wasn't the type that liked limos all that much but he dealt with riding in them when he had to. As he climbed into the back of one, following Beth, he shut the door and got settled in. "The place we're going to is a little upscale. It's a dessert bar, so you might want to wear a jacket and tie or something along those lines," Beth commented, hoping that Daryl would be okay with the location. It wasn't her choice but there was no way she could pass up eating at this place once she learned about the banana pudding cheesecake. It sounded delicious. "It's not too ritzy but just in case," she continued awkwardly.

"I'll see what I can put together. Not much of a classy dresser if you can't tell," Daryl stated, looking down at the black holey jeans and bright neon yellow t-shirt he had on.

"I can't wait to see your place. Is it one of those historical looking houses like in Downtown?" Beth questioned, biting her lip softly as she smile and Daryl shrugged then shook his head 'no'.

"It's more of a suburban type place, you'll see." Daryl replied, it wasn't a fancy looking historical home - it was more modern, two story and nice enough. Typical Georgia suburban style, if you asked him.

A few stoplights, several turns, and about ten miles later - the two finally arrived at Daryl's house. They quickly got out and walked towards the front door but as they were walking; Beth took a moment to take in the scenery. The house itself was built to look like it was made out of stones; it had black shutters and white trim with a wooden front door. It was two stories tall and, to Beth, looked to be rather large. Realizing she wasn't following him but instead looking around at his house and yard; Daryl turned to look at her and raise an eyebrow. "Coming in?" He asked, pushing open the front door with ease as he unlocked it - allowing a cool breeze of air to hit his face gently.

Once she was finished taking in the green lawn and many flowers surrounding the suburban home - she followed him inside. Daryl flipped on a light and placed his keys and cellphone down on the table near the front door. "Make yourself at home while I get cleaned up, I'll be down in about fifteen minutes so if you want a drink - I have a little of everything in the kitchen. Help yourself!" Daryl commented, he headed upstairs while Beth continued to look around in awe. She knew she wanted a house like this and one of the many reasons why she decided to make Savannah a tour stop - was so she could finalize her plans to move. Beth was looking into a home pretty close by, a townhome in Downtown, but she had yet to tell anyone other than the people she worked with.

Still, something seemed very suspicious about the fact that Daryl Dixon could afford such a nice house. He was just a security guard at a music venue; there was no way he could make that much money. Not enough to afford a house in one of the more upper-class suburbs of Savannah, at least. Right? It didn't sit well with Beth but she decided to not let it bother her - for all she knew, his parents could have given it to him. She quietly made her way into the kitchen and got a bottle of cold water then walked back into the living room to wait for him to return. Wondering just what other surprises he had in store for her later on. As if this one wasn't shocking enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: If you're triggered by alcohol, classist remarks or drinking; avoiding this chapter would be your best bet.**

* * *

As Beth quietly remained in the living room waiting for Daryl to finish getting ready; she checked the time on her cell. It was getting close to midnight and the bar closed at two. "Are you almost ready?" Beth called from the bottom of the staircase; a moment later Daryl reappeared and began to walk down the stairs. The man she saw before her didn't look like the man she had seen just moments before when they entered his home. He was dressed in a dark teal button down dress shirt, dark brown pants, and matching loafers. She told him to dress nicely but she was not expecting him to look like that at all. Especially since his clothes appeared to be more on the expensive side. "I...wow, you clean up nicely!" She complimented, smiling as she looked him over.

"You gonna stand there and check me out or are we gonna go? I want chocolate cake and a drink," Daryl commented, Beth laughed and nodded as she watched him grab hold of his keys and phone. Once they were back in the limo she took another look at the large home he seemed to own. It didn't sit right with her that he had such a beautiful home and yet he had such a low paying job.

"Don't be angry with me but I was wondering - this house is yours, right?" Beth asked, feeling slight butterflies in her stomach swirling around sending a chill down her body. She didn't want to piss him off but she had to know what was going on with him. "It's beautiful. I actually am planning to move to Savannah in two weeks - once my tour is over," Beth continued, thinking she had made a decent save there. However, Daryl wasn't deaf and he could tell what she was hinting at.

"Because I work as a security guard at a venue - you're thinking that's not my home, right?" Daryl assumed, squinting his eyes as his tone grew more serious but also quiet. In his mind, it sucked knowing that Beth thought that just because he had a somewhat crappy job working at a venue, that he couldn't afford nice things. The job wasn't glamorous by any means but to him; she really should not have assumed such a thing. He nodded his head. "Yeah, I own it. It was my home from the time I was a teenager until I grew up and moved out on my own. It became my parents place and then when my father died; he decided that the house should be mine. After all, my brother Merle is in prison and is serving twenty-five to life and my dad thought I deserved it because I've always worked hard. Does that answer your question?" Daryl rambled sounding bitter as he spoke.

"I...sorry I asked." The golden haired girl responded as she looked out the window of the limo. It was tinted but she could see the lights of the various buildings passing them by. The rest of the ride to the bar was quiet, almost too quiet but Daryl didn't exactly want to speak while he was angry. He didn't want to say something that he would end up regretting later.

* * *

From the outside, the place she had taken him to was inside of an old industrial brick building. It looked like it was inside of an old factory but it had been changed to have a certain rustic elegance to it - Daryl couldn't help but to like it. Inside, the place was darker than he had expected. The air was filled with the sweet smell of baked goods and the woodsy scent of cigar smoke.

As they moved toward the back of the building where the VIP area was located; Daryl began to feel very out of place. He was never the type to go to these upscale bars and he always preferred to be somewhere more hole-in-the-wall than classy. "Who chose this place?" Daryl questioned, thinking the guys in her band must have had someone pick for them. There was no way those rugged looking guys would want to be seen here.

"Ryan, our guitarist. He's really into hip bars like this but I think it's nice!" Beth responded as she moved to approach her band mates; she turned to look at Daryl as he took a step back. The tall, skinny black haired male she wrapped her arms around in a gentle squeeze must have been who she was talking about. He was dressed in a tight v-neck, a beige colored vest, and matching pants with a dark gray fedora on his head. Daryl rolled his eyes at the sight of the guy but smiled when Beth turned around to grab him and pull him forward. "This is Daryl. He's working security at the venue for me and I decided to bring him along tonight," Beth commented.

"You brought some random from The Warehouse to this? God, Beth, why do you do this shit?" Ryan questioned, not even bother to say hello to Daryl and it made him want to leave there and then. Never in his life had he felt more ashamed to be who he was than in that moment.

"Ryan, stop! That was uncalled for and if you would talk to him you would see that he's not at all what you think. Give him a chance," Beth spat, glaring at her band mate but the twenty-something just laughed and shook his head before he joined the others. Leaving Beth to stand there awkwardly with Daryl. "I'm so sorry he said that," Beth apologized as she looked up at her new friend, their blue eyes locking as they made contact. Beth had a sadness in her expression and Daryl, well, he couldn't have looked less amused.

"It's whatever. I don't belong here," he muttered softly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Noticing the businessmen sitting at tables with their girlfriends or wives and co-workers. He even thought he saw one of the news anchors from Atlanta sitting in a corner sipping a Jack and Coke.

Just then, Beth took Daryl by the wrist and lead him over to the bar. She wasn't going to deal with the jerks in her band; if they were going to treat Daryl like he was less than equal to them. "Come on, we're going to get a seat and have a good time together. Just us," Beth stated as she moved to have a seat at one of the bar stools. Once she sat down, she chuckled as she realized that for a moment she was a few inches taller than Daryl until he sat down. "It was nice being taller than you for a moment." That brought a smile back to his face as he sat down. She was lucky she was cute or else he would have definitely left her to go home.

The bartender handed the two menus and they immediately opened them as they allowed their eyes to skim over their choices. As soon as they made up their minds, Daryl ordered a Jack and Coke and a slice of chocolate cake. Beth, however, grinned as she told the bartender to bring her a piece of the chocolate banana pudding cheesecake and a peach belini. "Oh so you like fruity drinks?" Was all Daryl could say after hearing her order, she rolled her eyes then smirked.

"Yeah, of course I do! You're missing out if you don't have one," She replied, Daryl made a face and shook his head in response. "They're not drinks for ladies, Daryl. Anyone can drink them! Try one!" Beth commented, just as she was handed her drink. "Here! Have a sip of mine," she carried on and he shook his head again.

"Nuh uh, I ain't havin' no damn peach belini," He stated, taking a drink of his Jack and Coke. There was no way she could convince him otherwise, either. "You have all you want. I'm havin' none of it."

* * *

Four drinks, two desserts, and one s'mores platter later - Daryl and Beth were ready to get out of there. Once they were back in the limo, Beth had decided that she would be dropped off first because she had a lot to do the next day. "You know how I mentioned moving here? We're going to be going by my new neighborhood on the way back to your place. So, you might can see where I'm going to be living soon," Beth commented, Daryl nodded and smiled softly. "It's a little town house in the historic neighborhood. I'm so excited, too, you have no idea!" Beth added, you could hear the sound of pure joy and excitement in her voice.

"Right in the middle of everythin' huh?" Daryl responded. She nodded her head and shrugged.

"That's how I like it. I don't care how big of a musician I become - I still want to feel like I'm normal in some ways, you know?" She explained. Little did she know, he knew exactly what she meant by that but all he could do was nod his head and smile. "I had fun with you tonight by the way. Would you like to be my guest at the after party Sunday night?" Beth asked, Daryl's eyes widened and he wasn't sure if he could get away with going but he knew he would have to try. He was starting to like Beth, she seemed like she could be a good friend of his if he played his cards right, and he hoped she felt the same.

"I'll have to check my schedule but I'm sure I can make it."

* * *

The next morning Beth could feel her heart racing slightly as she waited for Maggie to answer her Facetime request. The two decided the day before to have brunch over Facetime since it seemed to be the only time during the day, when Beth had time for personal things. As Maggie's face popped up on the screen, she was taking a bite of grits when Beth's face appeared as well. "Are you eating grits? Oh my God, that's unfair!" Beth exclaimed, she was somewhat trying to stick to a healthy diet while on tour and seeing her sister eating one of her favorite foods made her a tad bit jealous.

Maggie nearly spit them everywhere as she avoided laughing at her sister's words. Once she swallowed her bite of food, Maggie rolled her eyes and laughed then shook her head. "Says the lucky blonde eating waffles in a fancy hotel bed!" Maggie half-joked, trying to keep things lighthearted. She could tell her sister was happy for whatever reason and that alone was enough reason to keep the mood between them good. "What's with the twinkle in your eye, Beth? You've got that... look." The oldest Greene sister teased, though she had genuinely noticed a look that Beth had on her face. It reminded her of when she first started seeing Glenn. "You look like I did when I met Glenn!"

"I do not!" Beth retorted, her eyes widening as her cheeks flushed pink. Maggie didn't bother to hold back the laughter, either. "Wait...do I really look like that or are you messing with me?" Beth added, giving herself a good look as she took another bite of kiwi.

"You look like you've found someone new! Who is he?" Maggie asked, Beth couldn't think of anyone she had a crush on. She had just met Daryl and made friends with him but there was no way she could have feelings for him. Not yet, at least, even if there was an attraction there on her part. As she thought about him; her heart began to race and she shrugged.

"I made a new friend named Daryl but it's because he works security for me while I'm doing shows at The Warehouse. He's interesting and kind of nice, though. He's different," Beth spoke about him, biting her lip softly before distracting herself with the food on her plate by shoving another bite of waffle into her mouth before she could think anymore. "I've only known him for less than a day, though. I met him last night so really it's nothing more than new friendship."

Maggie wasn't buying it. She had seen the look on more than one of her friends when they met their future husbands and now it was all over her sister's face. Plus, she had the same look when she met Glenn, even if the two didn't click right away. "I believe you." Maggie replied before turning the conversation over to something new. "So, how is the road? Are you ready to be finished with this tour?" She asked, Beth nodded as she swallowed some orange juice.

"You know I'm moving down here, right? I'm moving after the tour is over. I hope Dad didn't forget to tell you!" Beth commented, Maggie nodded and remembered hearing that. She hated living all the way in Spartanburg, South Carolina with Glenn or else she knew she would help her sister move. Brushing a brown strand of hair back behind her ear as she looked down at her own plate; Maggie thought about how different things were now that they were grown.

Hesitating, Maggie took a deep breath then replied to Beth's words. "Of course I remember that it's just that I miss you and I feel like I never see you! When are you coming to visit?" She questioned her little sister, watching as the blonde slowly started to grin. "Oh Lord, what are you up to?" She added.

"I have Charlotte, North Carolina as one of my last two stops. You, Dad, and Glenn are coming to see me! I have it all arranged for you to fly out and spend some time with me before I play my last shows in Atlanta." Beth explained, beaming as she spoke the words while she watched her sister's eyes fill with tears of joy.

"I'll see you then, okay?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I just want to say thank you for the love and support I'm getting over this fanfic. This means the world to me and this story is really important for me to tell. It has meaning and you'll see soon enough what that meaning is. Enjoy, you guys. Oh and also if you need an idea as to who this Scott fella is - he's an OC (obviously) but picture Sean Patrick Flanery as his image. There you have it, that's Scott.**

* * *

Sunday arrived quickly. Both Beth and Daryl were unprepared for the last night of her shows at The Warehouse. She had tried to avoid talking to him much that day, despite having invited him to the after party to be her plus one that evening. As Daryl watched from the side of the stage, Beth announced that she had a new song that she wanted to sing, that she had written while she was in Savannah. Daryl crossed his arms over his chest and furrowed his brow as he listened. "This song is called 'Over Anticipate'," she said, glancing over to Daryl as she sat down at the piano.

As she began to sing, Scott immediately picked up on the fact that Beth had to be singing about Daryl. "Dude...you banged her didn't you? You made her fall for you!" He exclaimed, Daryl shot him a glare as a warning because the next comment to come out of his mouth about her would be his last. Scott took the subtle hint and shut his mouth almost immediately.

"_I know that you're much older and you've had many lovers; but there's no place I'd rather be than underneath the covers...next to you_." Beth sang as she made eye contact with Daryl from across the stage. Though in the back of her mind, she was telling herself she could have written this about anyone, she still couldn't shake what Maggie said to her the day before. Maybe she had really fallen for him in the short amount of time they spent together but the idea of that was enough to break her heart. Beth had to leave the next morning after all and she didn't know if she would ever see Daryl again. Even if she was moving to Savannah in a couple of weeks, it was still a big place, and they were both very busy people.

Daryl sighed softly as he continued listening to the song. It made sense, he really was a mystery to her and though she knew some things, he knew she was getting in too deep a little too fast. Beth didn't know everything; there was no way that she could. If she did, she would probably be surprised at the secrets he was keeping and the skeletons in his closet from a broken past.

"_And I'm telling myself to be patient and I'm telling myself to wait. 'Cause when it comes to your love, I over anticipate._" Beth continued on, Daryl bit his lip softly as he thought about how he felt. He knew he would miss her, there was no doubt about that in his mind, but for now - they were barely just friends. Just getting to know each other but there was something in the way that those big blue eyes looked at him from day one. Something that told him that she was different, that he would be different in her eyes as well, and there was nothing that could change those facts for either of them.

Once the song ended, Beth thanked the crowd for coming out for a third night in a row, then quickly walked past Daryl to go to her dressing room. Scott gave him an odd look as he took off after her to see what was going on. "Beth, wait up!" He called out to her, she quickly moved to wipe away the tears that had formed on her eyelids. She turned to look at him once they were in the halls of the venue without anyone else around. "Was that song about..." Daryl began, Beth nodded.

"Yeah, it was about you. I didn't even want to admit that to myself but what can I say - I like you a lot Daryl Dixon and I don't even want to leave here. I'm afraid we'll lose contact and you'll be too busy for me if we do stay in touch or I will get too busy. It scares me because I like you so much and you won't leave my head and I've only known you for seventy-two hours," She rambled emotionally. As she opened the door to her dressing room to go inside, Daryl started to follow her in but she stopped him by pressing a hand to his chest. She looked deep into his eyes and shook her head.

"What's wrong?" Daryl questioned.

"You need to go home and rest. Don't come to the after party tonight; it won't be a good idea for you to be there," Beth began as she looked away for a moment while her heart began to race in her chest, "Because I'm probably right that we'll never see each other again after tonight. I like you, Daryl, but we can't - we can't be friends. It won't work because of our schedules," Beth spoke softly.

"If we're meant to be friends then I'll see you once I move here. Maybe, if we are meant to stay in touch. For now, we need to... we need to go our separate ways and be done." She continued to ramble, the small blonde then took a step back and gave him one last half-smile. "Goodbye, Daryl."

He couldn't believe it, he had just been through the shortest but best friendship of his life in less than four days, and now he wasn't sure how to feel about Beth. Part of him wanted to forget her as soon as he got out of The Warehouse and never look back - but he knew that wasn't going to be possible. Especially not now. While walking through the halls of the venue, Daryl heard Rick's low voice call out to him and he hesitated as he thought about the possibility that he heard Scott. "Daryl, I need to speak with you right now!" Rick called out into the halls, finally Daryl walked inside the office and took a seat by Rick's desk.

"Good job! You've done outstanding work and Beth told me that you were very professional and on point. She really bragged about you and said she enjoyed having you work for her and thanked me for choosing you to be her security guard." Rick explained, flashing a pearly white smile at the man and Daryl exhaled a small sigh of relief as he nodded.

"Yeah, no problem. Glad I had the opportunity to work with her!" Daryl replied simply, though a smile rested on his face - his eyes told a different story. The deep blue hues looked as though he was in deep thought; his mind off in a distant place unreachable to anyone but him.

"Have a good night!" Rick exclaimed, Daryl stood up then headed to clock out and leave The Warehouse until the next time they needed him for a show, which luckily wouldn't be for another two weeks while the venue underwent renovations.

* * *

**~ Two Weeks Later in Charlotte, NC ~**

* * *

The last two weeks had been difficult for Beth. She was mourning the loss of the short-lived friendship she had with Daryl. Not only was she angry with herself, she knew she had let him down when it seemed like he could use a friend by his side. Someone that wasn't arrogant and immature like his best friend, Scott, the bartender. As she waited for the hour long flight to touch down in Charlotte, Beth sat quietly alone at Pinkberry while she nibbled on her chocolate chip cookie frozen yogurt. Every few seconds, her heart would race as her mind would go back to thinking about Daryl, and no matter how hard she tried to fight it - she still felt like her heart was breaking every, single, time.

"Excuse me! Are you Beth Greene, the singer?" A quivering, yet softly spoken voice asked and Beth turned to look at the person speaking to her. Next to her was two young girls, no older than fifteen, beaming at the young singer and Beth couldn't help but to smile. The one to her left was tall, lanky, with dark chestnut brown hair and big bright green eyes. The gir's friend was a little heavier in weight, with curly locks of bright ginger hair, purple braces and freckles.

"I am!" Beth replied, her voice sounding honeyed as she tried to hide the way she was feeling from the girls. "Would you girls like an autograph and picture?" She asked, forcing a smile as she took the CD cases from the two girls and the sharpies they had given her. One was bright lime green and the other a deep, dark purple. "Oh that's so cool, I've only ever used silver or black Sharpies. I didn't know they made green and purple!" Beth commented as she signed the CDs.

"Keep them if you want! You can use them at signings!" One of the girls exclaimed excitedly. Once the CDs were signed, Beth gave them the cases and then waited as the mother of one of the girls got out her camera.

"Hey, while you're doing that would you mind taking an extra one so I can post it online later?" Beth asked, handing over her cellphone so the lady could take a second picture.

"Oh yeah, sure!" The mother replied, laughing quietly as the two girls squealed from pure joy. The two posed for pictures and Beth was given back her phone a moment later. Beth was relieved to not feel sadness for a few minutes as she interacted with her fans.

"It was nice meeting you both! Take care, you two!" Beth called out as the girls left the store as she stuck her two pens in her purse. The small blonde then went straight to her Twitter account and posted the picture of her with her fans with the caption "I always meet the nicest fans in the strangest of places! Loved meeting you both!" and promptly moved to check the time. Unaware that time had past since she was sitting inside the frozen yogurt shop eating and moping about - her sister's flight was due to land fifteen minutes ago. "Oh..crap," she muttered, just as she heard a clanking sound on the glass window next to her. There stood Glenn, grinning widely as he waved at her from outside the store.

* * *

Beth stood up and rushed out of the shop, tossing her food away as she exited before throwing her arms around her brother-in-law. "Oh my God I missed you so much!" Beth exclaimed, giving him a tight squeeze as he nearly lifted her off the ground while they embraced.

"How've you been?" Glenn asked before adding onto his words. "Dude, flying here was insane, why did you spend so much money on all of us? Not that I'm complaining at all. I've never been on a first class flight before!" He added.

The sapphire eyed singer smirked and shrugged. "Just felt like spoiling you guys since you don't see me that often. Where's Maggie?" She responded, again the feeling of excitement and joy was a nice change. Just as she finished asking where her sister was, the brunette ran over and hugged Beth tightly, pulling her sister in for a tight gentle embrace.

"Oh we brought someone along, hope that's okay." Glenn spoke up, Maggie pulled away from the hug as she smiled at her sister, watching as Beth reacted to seeing her father there as well.

"_**DADDY**_!" Beth nearly shouted, throwing her arms around his neck as he slowly approached her, limping slightly with his cane. She could feel her eyes filling with tears of happiness as she held him close; taking in the smell of cigars and cheap aftershave. "I missed you so much I'm sorry for not coming home to see you sooner!" Beth added, her voice sounding brittle as she began to cry into his shoulder.

"Shh, don't cry Beth. It's alright," He replied softly, Maggie bit her lip as she watched them interact while giving Glenn's hand a gentle squeeze. She wasn't one to cry in public; but boy was she damn near close.

"We should find a place to eat at. I'm starvin'!" Hershel stated, watching as Beth pulled away to wipe the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. She nodded then thought of a place for them to have dinner.

"There's a steakhouse close to the hotel. We can go there for dinner and I'm buying tonight!" She replied, her father nodded and decided not to argue despite the fact that she had already done enough. Round trip tickets, hotel rooms, VIP access to her show, and now dinner. She was seriously spoiling them.

* * *

Once dinner was over and everyone was back at the hotel; Maggie decided she needed to find out about this guy Beth seemed to be smitten with. The two headed to Beth's room and Maggie was dying to know what Beth was feeling. After they stepped inside the hotel room, the two plopped down on the couch together, and Beth gave her sister a look. "Okay, you're not really here to binge watch Grey's Anatomy with me. What do you want?" Beth questioned, seemingly already knowing that her sister was going to pry into her business about Daryl.

"Tell me about this guy. I want to know everything," Maggie asked, slipping her shoes off so she could pull her legs up against her chest. Little did she realize, Beth was broken inside from her actions, and she was about to show it. Beth's bright blue eyes filled with tears as she looked away from her older sister, she blinked away the tears as she looked up at the ceiling, and Maggie knew something was wrong. "Did he break your heart? I will kick his ass so hard if he did."

"No, he didn't. I think I broke his because I told him I couldn't remain friends with him; we are too busy with our own lives to be together. I feel like the dumbest person in the world now, too, for letting him slip through my fingers." Beth rambled emotionally as the tears began to fall from her eyes while her voice broke like a fragile piece of glass. "You were right, Maggie. You were right; just like you always are. Now I don't know if I will ever see him again and I don't think he would want to see me after this," she explained, feeling her heart thud against her ribs as a tight knot formed in her throat. Making it feel difficult to swallow as she held back her sadness.

Maggie wrapped an arm around her little sister's shoulders and held her close. She honestly thought Beth had found someone that could make her happy. "How long did you know him again?" Maggie questioned.

"Three days. He was my security guard at The Warehouse." Beth muttered. "I felt like I would be bad for him, you know? I felt like he wouldn't get the friendship or even love he deserved if I stuck around and let things progress. I'm always on the road and so busy; he deserves someone that can be right there with him all the time."

Maggie sighed. "What exactly did you feel for him while you were around him?" She asked her younger sister, she could see it in Beth's ocean eyes that she was in love when she spoke about this mystery guy, but she could also see the heartbreak she brought onto herself.

"The moment I looked at him I knew he was something different. He seemed shy and quiet at first then he became more talkative. As I got to know him, I felt butterflies when we were around each other, and by day two I felt like he was my new best friend - he was that great," Beth spoke tearfully, feeling her heartstrings tugging as she allowed herself to cry a little once she was done talking for the moment. "He was on my mind when he wasn't around and when he was I couldn't think about anything other than not wanting to be away from him. I felt so attached," she confessed and Maggie pulled Beth closer to hold her.

"I know those feelings and I'm sorry you let him go. Maybe it was for the best but if fate has it's way - he'll be back to you before you know it. I promise," Maggie replied, Beth sounded like she was describing the feelings Maggie had for Glenn when they met. Even if it took her a little longer to start feeling that way - all those feelings were still there. Now she considers Glenn her soulmate.

Beth wasn't sure if Maggie was right about fate. She wasn't sure if she even believed in such a concept despite hearing about it and how beautiful it was, in some cases. The concept of a soulmate sounded amazing and so beautiful to Beth, too, but again - she questioned if they were a true possibility. "I don't know if he will, Maggie. The look on his face when I shut the door; he looked so hurt by my words."

"Trust me, if it's meant to be and God wants him in your life - this man will be back to you in no time. It's just a matter of time til you see him again; so trust that he'll come back, okay?" Maggie explained, smiling sweetly at her little sister. Beth nodded.

"His name is Daryl Dixon, by the way. I don't think I told you before," Beth commented.

"Well, if Daryl does come back into your life - I want to meet him." Maggie stated firmly, Beth laughed quietly and shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine by me."

* * *

The following day, Beth and her family headed out for lunch before she was set to do two interviews, and later her show that evening. Just as they finished eating, their waitress brought by several fortune cookies for them to nibble on as they waited for the check. "Hershel kicked my ass at golf today," Glenn admitted with a laugh as he pulled out his phone to show Maggie and Beth the pictures taken from the course.

"Have you ever even played before?" Maggie spoke up, wide eyed as she took the phone and smiled down at the screen as she showed the picture to Beth. Beth grinned as well as she cracked open a fortune cookie.

"Uh...no. Just mini-golf," Glenn responded, laughing as he thought back to a date he had with Maggie, and she too was great at the game. "Golfing must be in your blood because it seems to be a God given talent!" He exclaimed, rolling his eyes as he opened a fortune cookie as well.

"Apparently something great is going to happen in the next three months," Hershel spoke as he read his fortune. "I can only hope so!" He added, then looked up as he noticed the look on Beth's face.

"These things are such bullshit, oh my God." Beth exclaimed angrily.

"What did it say?" Glenn asked before snatching her fortune from her hands to read it. He furrowed his brow and wondered what could be so bad about the blue words he had just read. "Good things come to those who wait? Is that such a bad thing?" He commented, Maggie then bumped her foot against his leg under the table, trying to get him to shut up.

"Open another one!" Maggie stated, handing her another fortune cookie from the table. Beth sighed and did just that, feeling a chill go down her spine as she read the second one. Maggie's eyes widened as she read it, as well.

"The one you love is closer than you might think? Really?" Beth muttered, feeling as though she was going to get a headache if she wasn't careful.

Glenn and Hershel exchanged looks as they realized something they weren't aware of was going on with the blonde. "Can I tell him later?" Maggie asked, wanting to know if she could talk to Glenn about what happened.

"You best tell me, too!" Hershel stated firmly.

Beth exhaled and looked at the two men. "Yeah, she'll tell you when I'm not around because I don't want to hear his name or think about it." She spoke, sounding annoyed.


	4. Chapter 4

It was Beth's last day in Charlotte and luckily it was one of her days off. The concert the night before was successful and her family seemed to love the treatment they got at the venue. By the following day, they had all decided to spend the day being tourists by checking out the local attractions. "I can't believe you actually made us go in there," Glenn commented as he, Hershel, Maggie, and Beth left the Nascar Hall-of-Fame.

"Well I liked it!" Hershel replied with a laugh. That was one stop that he wanted to see before going back to Atlanta. Maggie rolled her eyes at her dad, thinking of how ridiculous it was that he could like such a sport, because car racing didn't seem like a big deal at all to her.

As they made their way towards the Epicenter to check it out, Beth stopped in her tracks as she noticed a very familiar face across the street, sitting at a table with an unfamiliar woman. When the group noticed that Beth was stopped in her tracks; Glenn furrowed his brow as he turned around to look at the young woman. "You okay?" He asked, none of them knew it but she was looking right at Daryl Dixon. There he was, sitting and laughing with some woman, in the same city she was in and Beth couldn't handle the fact that she was seeing him again so soon.

"Is that?" Maggie asked, Beth swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded her head.

"I'm going over there. He shouldn't be here, not in this state, and not with some woman. I want to know why he's here all of a sudden," Beth replied, taking a deep breath as she took a step to cross the street and the group followed her from a slight distance. Again, he was well dressed and looked completely different than how he appeared at The Warehouse. This time, he had on a navy blue jacket with a lighter blue shirt underneath, as well as a pair of black framed glasses. She almost couldn't speak, her stomach felt as though it was turning into one giant tightly bound knot as she stood there watching him for a moment. "..Daryl?" Beth finally greeted, looking at him with the same wide-eyed gaze.

He swallowed his bite of steak before turning to the familiar, sweet voice. Daryl hesitated for a moment as he put his fork down and turned to her, unsure of how to react to seeing her. "What do you want, Beth?" The man questioned, his tone less than friendly as he spoke to her for the first time in weeks. She looked hurt by his tone and he furrowed his brow in response.

"Why are you here?" She questioned, her voice cracking as she responded to his words.

"That's none of your concern. I'm busy," He replied, Beth bit her lip and shook her head - there was no way she was going to take his bad attitude or his inability to answer a simple question.

"It's just a little messed up that you're here when you knew I would be here today!" She exclaimed angrily. "But since you're too damn busy to even tell me what you're doing here; I'll leave you alone!" The golden haired girl continued, just when she was about to storm off to catch up to her family, Daryl stood up and excused himself from the woman sitting with him.

* * *

Daryl walked around the small fence separating the restaurant's patio from the sidewalk and approached Beth, giving her a stern look. "You can't expect me to be happy with you coming up to me like that, wanting answers or whatever, when you're the one that decided I wasn't good enough to be in your life!" Daryl spat, feeling his hands grow cold from anger boiling in his veins. "You said we were too different, too busy for each other, and that you couldn't do it - so why are you bothering with me now? Shouldn't you be singing tonight or somethin?" He added.

"I'm scared of how I feel about you, okay? I've never met anyone like you before and it scares me. That's why I broke everything off!" Beth exclaimed, immediately regretting her confession. "I like you too much, alright? I didn't even know you and I immediately knew I wanted to see you all the time and be around you. I just... I felt like you deserved better than a friend that would be gone all the time," Beth continued, feeling her heart shatter into a million pieces as she continued to explain how she felt.

"You assume way too damn much you know," Daryl stated. He couldn't believe that she liked him and that's why she wanted him to leave. That was the reason why she was so scared to get too close to him; she was afraid of her stupid touring schedules and recording schedules. It amazed him at how little that really mattered to him in the end.

"So, you like me and you're scared I won't want you because you're busy. Is that it? If so, you're wrong. I like you, too, but we barely know each other and we need to take some time getting to know each other before anything else happens. And so you won't assume anything else in the mean time," Daryl explained. He took out his cellphone then handed it to her as he thought about what else to say. "Put your number in there. I'll call you when I get home and if you're wonderin' I'm here for personal reasons. It's a long story," he carried on, Beth sighed with relief and typed her number into his phone.

"You...forgive me then?" Beth asked, Daryl nodded his head and smirked.

"Good. I hope you'll help me when I move into my new place, then." She added with a small smile. Daryl pulled her in for a quick and gentle hug before he had to part ways with her for the evening. Leaving her with the same feeling of butterflies that she had when she met him two weeks prior.

* * *

**~*~ Five days later ~*~**

* * *

Beth and Daryl both were back in Savannah, Georgia. Beth was happy that her sister and brother-in-law decided to help her move in along with Daryl. She was nervous to introduce them to each other after what they witnessed back in Charlotte. Beth didn't want them to have been given the wrong impression of Daryl. "You get to meet him today, you know." Beth commented as she carried another box up the stairs to her bedroom, following closely behind Maggie.

"He better be good enough for you!" Maggie responded, she didn't care if they were just friends for the time being. She wanted what was best for her little sister and this man needed to meet her standards when it came right down to it. "I know the two of you are just friends and just now getting to know each other but he still needs to be a good man." She added, laying the box down on the floor next to Beth's bed.

"Try not to intimidate him too much, okay?" Beth asked, opening the box she had in her arms once it was placed down on the bed. She got out some of the clothes inside and moved them to the dresser.

"She intimidates me and we're married!" Glenn joked as he passed by the bedroom, while he lugged one of the heavier boxes into the bathroom. "Damn, Beth, how much makeup and beauty stuff could you have in here?" He shouted teasingly. Beth rolled her eyes and laughed at his comments along with her sister. As her phone buzzed on the desk, Beth walked over to read the text that had appeared on the screen and smiled when she read that Daryl had arrived.

Instead of saying anything to her sister, Beth just smiled and rushed into the hall and down the stairs. There he was, standing in the doorway as he watched two men carry Beth's couch inside. He had on a simple AC/DC t-shirt and a pair of jeans which was the most dressed down she had seen him since the day they met. "Hey!" He greeted cheerfully, wondering what he could do to help out. It looked like he had made it there a little late since all the heavy stuff was inside apparently. "Did I get here a little too late to help out?" Daryl asked, Beth shook her head and smiled.

"No, there's still a whole lot more to do. I need to unpack if you want to come upstairs?" She asked, Daryl nodded and followed her up the stairs to her room where Maggie was still standing, waiting to meet this mystery guy.

"And you must be Daryl Dixon," Maggie greeted with a smile, crossing her arms over her chest as she spoke. "I'm Beth's sister, Maggie, and I've heard a lot about you over the last few weeks!" She added, attempting to keep her eyes locked on his but he was attempting to look everywhere else in the room. Maggie watched as he awkwardly stood there, not saying much but nodding his head as he listened to her. He looked much older than Beth; her little sister looked like she was still old enough to be in high school - where as Daryl looked twice her age. However, she refused to comment on that.

"Mhm," was all Daryl could muster up the courage to say in response. He felt like he was being judged because Maggie was giving him such a look and watching him so intensely. "Nice to meet you!" He finally added after a moment or so of awkward silence.

Maggie wasn't sure what to think of this man; she felt like she wanted to like him but he was very awkward and quiet. He didn't seem threatening but that was because of his very timid nature. "So, have you had any insane experiences as a security guard at that venue you work for?" She asked, trying to get him to open up but it wasn't working so well. Daryl remained silent as he thought of an answer to her question then he shrugged.

"No, nothing too weird. One stupid scene band came one night and trashed the lounge and we had three hours of clean up to do once they left. That's it, since I haven't been working there long." Daryl replied, Beth then gave him a pile of clothes to hang up in the closet.

"Hang those up, please!" She asked, while she moved to open her box of shoes to put them in the closet as well. Beth listened as Maggie and Daryl continued to chat; it was nice that her sister was getting along with Daryl despite his awkward shyness.

A few minutes passed by and Daryl turned to Beth. "Mind giving me a small tour of your place? This place is huge!" He asked, smiling down at her as he put the last shirt on the rack inside the closet.

"Sure!" Beth responded, she stood up then lead Daryl out into the hallway. Maggie watched as Daryl's demeanor seemed to change as he got a moment alone with Beth; he relaxed and seemed less awkward around her sister. It all seemed a little too weird and she knew she would have to warm up to him because it wouldn't be easy to take a liking to him otherwise.

The first stop along the hallway upstairs was the master bathroom. Inside, the room was painted with beige paint and slightly off-white trim. The tub and shower matching the shade of white used for the trim. "That tub is huge!" Daryl exclaimed with a laugh. "I wish I could take a bath in it," he admitted with a smirk. Beth looked up at him with a coy smile.

"Maybe you can sometime!" She flirted, her coy smile remaining as she spoke and Daryl's cheeks flushed slightly pink.

"Yeah, maybe." He replied.

* * *

As Glenn walked back into the room, he tilted his head slightly as he wondered who was talking to Beth - then he remembered the Daryl guy she had been talking about. "You're Daryl, right?" Glenn spoke up, causing the older man to turn and face him. "I'm Glenn Rhee, Maggie's husband and Beth's brother-in-law. Nice to meet ya," He added, extending his hand to shake Daryl's. Daryl smiled back at him in response.

"Nice to meet you, too." He replied, Beth then gently tugged at Daryl's shirt so he would follow her out into the hall again.

"Giving him a tour, you two can talk later when we're done!" Beth stated happily as she walked back out into the hall with Daryl. She quickly showed him the spare room that she planned to make into a make shift recording studio when she had time. Then the two headed downstairs into the kitchen. "And this is where I'm going to spend a lot of my time baking!" She exclaimed happily.

"Oh, you bake?" He asked.

"I cook, too, but I like to bake cakes and stuff. It lets me be creative!" She responded with a smile. "I'll make you something one day and bring it to your place, ok?" She added.

"I cook, too, you know." He replied with a quiet laugh. "I can make just about anything, really. Had to teach myself once my mom died when I was just a kid. My dad was too lazy to cook for my brother and I so I took over the kitchen I guess." Daryl explained, it struck a nerve to know that Daryl had lost his mother as well. Beth wondered how that happened but she wouldn't pry into that at the moment.

"I've got an idea, one night you should make dinner and I'll make dessert and we'll hang out. How does that sound?" Beth suggested. She knew it sounded like a date if they would be cooking for each other but she knew it would be a fun activity to do together, too.

"Are you suggesting a date?" He asked, Beth sighed and caved when she heard those words coming from his lips.

"Okay, yeah, maybe I am. So what?" She replied.

"My place or yours?" Daryl asked, smirking.

"Yours. This Friday night."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**** Just reminding you guys that this is an AU story so if anything seems OOC (out of character) it's because I'm making them my own. I'm trying to keep the basics of their personalities in tact, though. Don't be mad! Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable but AU would be pointless if I didn't do my own thing. Also some of the pictures in the photo set may seem random but in the next chapter, you'll see how they fit in with what I just wrote. As well as with what I'm about to write for chapter six! **

**Enjoy! **

**Reviews, messages, favorites, etc are the best.**

* * *

"You remembered to bring your bathing suit, right?" Daryl typed then pressed 'send' on his phone, just as he began to stir the fried rice cooking in the pan on the stove. Hearing his phone buzz, he looked down at his phone again and smiled at Beth's response. The two decided to spend an entire evening together; which also included swimming in Daryl's pool after dinner. Though Daryl had a feeling that they might be doing more than that as the night went on, even if he wasn't so sure yet.

"Of course I did! It's in my bag!" Beth responded, just as she was applying a thin coat of lip gloss while she looked in the mirror. She thought she looked surprisingly good and hoped that she wouldn't appear too dressed up for just having dinner at his place. "You're still okay with me making dessert there, right?" She added to her text, just to make sure though she had already taken the time to get the stuff she needed.

"Mhm, that's fine with me!" Daryl replied in the text, secretly hoping that she wasn't driving to his place since he didn't want to distract her from the road. Just as Beth received the text, she picked up the box of stuff and held it in one arm and put the straps of her bag over the other. "You're not driving, are you?" Another message popped up on her screen and Beth chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"No, silly. I'm about to leave. See you in a few! (; " She replied to the text, feeling her heart skip a beat in her chest at the idea of seeing him in just half an hour.

* * *

Once Daryl was done preparing dinner, it seemed like no time at all until Beth was walking through the front door like he told her to, and greeting him with a bright smile. Upon seeing her for the first time, Daryl smirked as he realized they were both wearing denim thinking that it was kind of funny that they they would synchronize in such a way. Watching as she placed the stuff down on the cabinet, Daryl's eyes widened at the stuff Beth had brought with her, and wondered what all she planned on making. "Planning on feeding an army?" He asked, his smirk turning into a small smile as he spoke.

Beth rolled her eyes then shook her head. "No just us, I'm making tiramisu cake pops and...oh shit I forgot my recipe! Mind if I use your laptop and write it down real fast?" She asked, biting her lip softly. Daryl loved it when she would do that; even if it was a look of worry or stress.

"Go ahead! I have an office upstairs that you can use. Has a printer and everything," he began watching as she darted over to the coffee table to grab the black Macbook. "Turn to your right, it's the only room once you get upstairs!"

The ocean eyed blonde listened to his instructions and walked up the stairs, turning right as she headed down the hall, and she quickly turned on the light as she made her way into his office. Inside the office was a modern looking glass desk, with a printer and fax machine on top of it, along with a large black leather chair behind it. "Wow," Beth muttered to herself, her eyes widening as she continued to look around the room. She wondered why he would need such a room if he worked security at The Warehouse but maybe that wasn't his only job.

As she sat down at the desk, she plugged the computer in and waited for it to turn on. Once the desktop loaded, Beth noticed a very familiar set of words that was listed on a file. "Bleeding Ink" were the words listed on the file and as she looked through the door way to make sure he wasn't coming to see if everything was okay, she double clicked the file name. After it loaded, she noticed that the files all had the same names listed as one of her favorite writing and poetry blogs, and even some that were not on the site - or so she thought, as she tried to recall the different titles she had read. "Oh my God," the golden blonde muttered to herself as she scrolled down the list. Finally, she reached the newest one, made shortly after she met Daryl for the first time. When she opened the file titled "First Glance" she was taken aback by the beauty of the words on the screen and had a sinking feeling that the poem was about her.

"Everything okay up there?" Daryl called out from downstairs, snapping her out of the slight daze she had gone into as she realized she was currently seeing someone she actually looked up to, from a writer's perspective. He had almost as many followers on his blog as she had fans, after all. So it made sense that he wouldn't care that much about her being a famous singer. And as she continued to think about it, everything began to fall into place, but she also couldn't help but wonder - what else could Daryl Dixon have hidden from her?

"Yeah!" She replied, closing out of the file as she opened the internet browser to pull up the recipe she had saved. "Just a second!" She added, sounding slightly panicked as she rushed to get the recipe to print so she could take it downstairs. That way he wouldn't suspect that she had been snooping around.

Beth quickly headed back down the stairs once the recipe had been printed. "Sorry I took so long - I forgot which website I went on to find the recipe!" Beth commented, again biting her lip and Daryl simply nodded his head though he had a feeling something was up. Instead of saying anything, he turned to get two plates out and place them down on the counter next to the stove.

"Tell me you'll at least eat with me before you make those things?" Daryl asked, smiling as he made a plate for her. "We can sit outside and watch the sun set?" he suggested, trying to sound a little romantic.

Beth exhaled a breath and nodded, smiling as she took her plate and the glace of sweet tea next to it. "How'd you know I like sushi?" Beth asked, following Daryl out back to join him at one of the tables by the pool. Daryl simply shrugged in response to her words; he actually didn't know that she liked it at all but hoped she did, because it was the only thing he could think of in the moment.

"It was actually the only thing I could think of while grocery shopping this morning, but I'm glad I made a favorite of yours!" Daryl commented, just as he took a seat across from her.

* * *

After dinner and dessert were both finished, Daryl sat down with Beth on the couch to take a breather from eating, and just enjoy her company. "You know, when the light from the sunset outside was hitting your face and that golden blonde hair of yours, I couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful you are." Daryl confessed, feeling his cheeks flush pink as he spoke the words, just before he decided to change the subject. "Do you like playin' video games?" He added, not missing a beat but Beth was already looking at him with those wide, azure eyes of hers.

"You're really sweet, you know?" Beth stated, she was so tempted to lean over and kiss him right then and there, but at the same time she was torn about the fact that he hadn't told her about his other job. "What else do I not know about you?" Beth spoke softly.

Daryl smiled and laughed softly. "Why do I get the feeling you found my blog or my Bleeding Ink file?" he asked, hoping that this would be taken lightly and not spark an argument between them. Daryl knew that Beth could be one hell of a spitfire when she wanted to be. He had seen that enough over the last two weeks, after all. As he waited for her answer, Daryl took another bite of one of the cake pops and continued to keep eye contact with Beth.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Beth questioned. She felt conflicted because she wanted to be mad at him, but she knew she couldn't be, because she didn't want the night to end. She also didn't want to end things this time. "I would have understood, you know. You're probably just as famous as I am!" Beth added.

"Yeah, under an alias and not as my real self. The poems, advice, and all that shit - yeah - it comes from a real place and real feelings. Other than that, it's mostly just fiction so I can have my privacy!" Daryl explained, he hadn't thought anything of it when he was making the website two years prior, and though he never planned to become the writer he was - he was proud of what he achieved. Especially now that he was able to make money off of the three books he published.

The sapphire eyed girl rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're lucky I'm not mad at you over this. Please don't hide anything else from me, okay? You can trust me, you know!" Beth explained, letting it go since she didn't want to borrow more trouble. Turning her attention to the fact that Daryl was starting up a game on his Xbox, Beth decided to speak up about that, too. "Yeah, I play video games sometimes. I prefer Wii games but Grand Theft Auto is fun!"

"Oh, yeah! My kinda girl!" Daryl exclaimed, just as the game began to play on the screen as he handed her the controller.

"Let's see what ya got!"

* * *

The sun had gone down and after they had enough time to relax; Daryl began to unbutton the shirt he had on then took it off. He tossed it aside on the couch and removed his shoes, causing Beth to wonder what he was doing, seeing as how she had forgotten about swimming. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Let's go swim! Go change and I'll meet you outside in a few," he began as he moved his shoes aside and stood up, "Bathroom's down the hall, to your left, right before you get back to the kitchen!" he stated.

As soon as Daryl headed upstairs, Beth got up and grabbed her bag then walked into the bathroom so she could change clothes. Daryl left the light on outside and the pool was lit up by the lights on both sides. She quickly changed into her bikini and grabbed her towel from the bag, leaving her clothes in the bathroom, that way she could change once she was dry again. Beth took a look around, she hadn't noticed how truly beautiful the view from Daryl's back yard was. The pool over looked the city as it was perched up on very large hill just like his home. The gentle glow of the lights dancing across the pitch black sky left her in awe.

Little did Beth realize, Daryl was standing behind her watching as she took pictures of the view on her phone, and tweeted them out. He could see her petite figure standing there in the light, her neon pink bikini fitting nicely against her sun-kissed skin, and her golden hair caressing her shoulders. He cleared his throat to not-so-subtly announce that he was done changing into his boardshorts. As he stepped outside, he remembered just how warm the summer heat in Georgia was as the humid hot air touched his skin. "What are you waiting for? Let's get in!" He exclaimed happily then headed for the deep end of the pool, before doing a cannonball into the cool water.

The shock of the cold water against his warm skin sent a chill down his spine as he came up for air. Beth, on the other hand, she decided to get in by slowly making her way down the steps. "Wow, this water is frigid!" Beth commented, just as she made it waist deep into the pool.

"It's not that bad once you get used to it!" Daryl replied as he swam around the deep end, then made his way towards the shallow end, as he watched Beth slowly sink into the water with ease. "Do I need to adjust the temp?" He added.

Beth nodded her head and Daryl swam over to the ladder so he could get out. Once he was at the controls, he pressed a few buttons, turning on the changing LED lights inside the pool and changed the temp so the water was warmer. Though not too warm so they wouldn't feel hot. "Oh my gosh! I didn't know you had lights that could change color, that must've cost a fortune!" Beth exclaimed, watching as the pool water changed from pink then purple to green and so on.

"It wasn't too bad, really. The pool itself was more because I had it completely renovated!" Daryl responded, slipping up behind Beth when she wasn't paying attention as she turned her attention back to the view.

* * *

Feeling Daryl's muscular arms wrap around her abdomen slightly startled Beth because she wasn't expecting the sudden contact. He pulled her close to him and held her gently and though she couldn't tell - Daryl was actually feeling pretty damn nervous on the inside. His heart raced inside his chest, every thud of his heartbeat feeling faster than the one before, as he closed his eyes and held her. Beth, on the other hand, relaxed into the man holding her so gently.

Beth took her hands and placed them over his. She wondered if they were just going to stand there silent for a few moments or if she should make another move. Deciding that she needed to do what she was longing to do for days; Beth turned around and faced Daryl, then looked deep into his baby blue eyes. She stood up on her tip toes and pressed her lips gently to his, causing his breath to hitch in his throat for a split second.

The kiss deepened for a fraction of a moment before Beth pulled away, playfully but gently pulling his lip between her teeth, as she moved so she could breathe. "I haven't wanted this night to end as long as I've been here, you know," Beth whispered, wrapping her arms around Daryl's neck as she felt her heart rate increase while the butterflies took over her tummy.

"It doesn't have to. You can stay the night and just sleep next to me if you want," Daryl responded, moving to brush a strand of her hair from her eyes. "I don't want to rush this, anyway. I like what we have; whatever that may be."

"Me too." Beth agreed with a nod, she then decided that staying the night would be okay with her.

"Even if I haven't wanted to leave your side since I got to know you. I guess I really like you - or somethin'," Daryl confessed, shrugging his shoulders lightly as he thought about everything they had been through. He was left hurt by the brief end of their friendship but now it seemed like she had come back, and they had more of a relationship than they did before.

"Or somethin', huh? Well... I like you, too, or _somethin_'," She teased with a laugh. "You already knew that though."

"_Did I_?" He flirted back with a joking tone, she gave him a look and his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink again, even if she couldn't see him blushing.

"Yeah, I knew." He continued.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This chapter deals with the following triggering subjects: mentions of cutting, suicidal thoughts and actions, death (accidental and non-accidental), and addiction. Please do not read this chapter if you don't think you can handle reading the things mentioned here. Stay safe, readers! Don't read what makes you uncomfortable. Also, I hope this chapter is a good one. Chapter seven should be up very, very soon!**

* * *

Beth was beautiful laying there as she slept peacefully while Daryl watched, just as he sat back down on the bed. Moving a hand to gently nudge her to wake up, Daryl smiled down at the blonde laying in his bed, clothed by one of his red t-shirts and a pair of black lace underwear. "Mornin', Sleepin' Beauty! Wake up," he greeted her, his voice remaining soft-spoken so he wouldn't wake her too harshly. Beth squirmed around beneath the covers for a moment or two before finally opening her eyes; only to see Daryl looking down at her. His azure eyes locking on her soft, ocean hues. "You remember our plans for today, right?" Daryl asked. Beth nodded and smiled, though she still felt slightly drowsy from the sleep she had the night before.

"Yeah, I remember!" Beth replied, sounding very tired as she rubbed her fingers gently against her eyelids. Finally she sat up and moved to pull the covers off of her and get out of bed. "So, what did you have in mind for us?" Beth added, brushing a strand of her golden blonde hair out of her eyes, as her azure orbs reacted to the bright white room.

"I thought we would spend the morning at the beach," Daryl began as he thought about the plans he had set for the day. "Then after that, we would come back here and get cleaned up, before we head back out to have lunch. What do you think?" He added, softly biting his bottom lip as he waited for an answer. All Beth could do was smile as she sat up and looked at him; the plans for the day sounded perfect to her. Then she realized, she had to reschedule Skyping with Maggie.

"Sounds perfect to me!" Beth replied cheerfully, reaching over to the nightstand to get her cellphone to text her sister, explaining that something came up and she would explain later that night. "We should probably go by my place before we head to the beach. I need to change clothes!" Beth added, just as she got up from the bed and began to stretch.

* * *

Two hours later, the two made their way down to the beach from the little bistro where they had just eaten their weight in pizza. "I think you found my new favorite restaurant!" Beth exclaimed happily as the two left, their feet touching the warm sand as they walked from the sidewalk, down to the beach. Daryl winced at the contact from the sun-kissed sand against the skin of his feet. He forgot how much he hated that stuff sometimes. "You okay?" Beth asked, noticing the look on Daryl's face as the two were walking together.

"I'll be fine!" Daryl replied, shrugging off the fact that the sand was slightly burning the soles of his feet. "I always forget how hot sand can be." Daryl continued, moving to place his towel down next to Beth's as they picked a spot. The spot they had chosen was fairly secluded from anyone else, except the snow cone and ice cream vendors, which were several feet away from the couple. Beth couldn't help but to chuckle and shake her head at how cute Daryl could be sometimes. She seemed to love his little quirks and those unique things that made him who he was.

Just as the two were settled down, Daryl took out his camera from the bag he had brought with him, and began to snap some pictures of the ocean and their surroundings. Only to be interrupted by a group of teens that were walking up to him and Beth.

Daryl immediately put his camera aside and watched as the teenagers spoke to Beth. He remained quiet as he realized they were fans of his girlfriend's music. The oldest person in the group seemed to be a blonde, green eyed male with spiked up hair. The kid looked like someone had pulled him straight out of a Hollister ad. Daryl watched him closely as the boy looked Beth over while she signed autographs; he seemed rather arrogant and full of himself to Daryl. His body language alone was easily giving that away.

"What are your names?" Beth asked, taking the marker from the short blonde girl, which had to be the guy's sister. She was just as tan, blonde, and green eyed as the boy next to her after all.

"I'm Kylah and this is my brother Tyler!" The short blonde commented, waiting for her best friend to speak up and say something. "And the very quiet girl next to me is Bodhi! She and I are really big fans of yours and we love your music so much," Kylah explained, her friend seemed to be completely starstruck and Daryl thought it was adorable.

Finally, the tall brunette finally decided to say something. "I was at your shows at The Warehouse, all three of them, and you were so amazing! Where do you pull your inspiration from when you write songs?" Bodhi asked, Beth's cheeks flushed pink as she thought of her answer. Truthfully, she mostly wrote what her record label wanted her to write, with the exception of one or two songs that were completely her own.

"Personal experiences, feelings, you know - the usual stuff!" Beth answered, handing the girls the items she had signed for them. Though her answer was somewhat of a lie because she was always being told what to put on her albums. That was one of the cons of being part of a major music label.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Tyler spoke up with a smirk, his words causing a feeling of slight jealousy and possessiveness in Daryl. The quiet man didn't speak up and say anything, though, but instead he shot him a glare. Beth noticed the look on Daryl's face and rolled her eyes at his behavior. She then nodded her head and smiled simply back at the boy.

"My boyfriend is sitting right there!" Beth commented, glancing down at Daryl to catch his reaction to her words. The glare faded into a subtle smirk as he remained there. Tyler backed up a couple of feet after he realized that the man shooting him a look was Beth's boyfriend.

While Daryl's eyes remained locked on Beth's; neither of them noticed the look Bodhi had in her eyes. Her dark brown hues filled with jealousy as she looked at the man Beth had called her boyfriend. "Isn't he a bit...old for you, Beth?" Bodhi asked, her tone sounding a little less cheerful and a little more bold.

"Okay, is there anything else you guys want? I need to get back to spending time with Daryl." Beth asked, glancing around and when no one answered her question - Beth decided to take her cue to leave. "Alright, catch you guys later. It was nice meeting you all!" She added, moving to sit back down with Daryl. As she watched the group walk away, the blonde sighed with relief and shook her head.

Daryl was left in disbelief at how those kids seemed to be rather gutsy. They didn't respect Beth's privacy at all and it rubbed Daryl the wrong way. However, he knew it would be better to just shrug it off, and let things go so he could enjoy spending his day with his girl.

"Your _boyfriend_, huh?" He teased, pressing a quick kiss to his girlfriend's lips as she wrapped her arms around his middle. Beth nodded and smiled back at Daryl.

"Wanna go swim, _boyfriend_?" Beth asked, her eyes glancing up to meet with Daryl's gorgeous dark sapphire hues.

* * *

Once Daryl and Beth changed into their swimwear, the two headed for the ocean, which was not far from their towels as Daryl didn't want to stray far from his belongings. As their feet made contact with the cool water from the ocean, Beth made a loud squeaky sound, causing Daryl to laugh as he watched her react to the water. "Cold, cold, oh my...COLD!" Beth exclaimed as she flailed around.

"I see you hate the cold as much as I hate heat!" Daryl commented, watching as Beth jumped around for a moment.

"Okay... I think I'm good now!" She replied breathlessly, Daryl continued to laugh as he went further out into the ocean.

Beth followed shortly behind him, adjusting to the cold as she walked deeper into the water until her abdomen was covered. While Daryl was a little above waist deep. "I wonder how old those kids thought you were! I mean that guy _tried to ask you out_ but - he couldn't be out of high school yet," Daryl spoke softly, moving so that he could attempt to float in the water as he welcomed the coolness of the water against his back. That's when Beth noticed that he was covered in scars but didn't say anything to him about it.

"Too old for them, anyway. You would think they would know that I'm twenty-four," She replied. "Maggie has been asking me how old you are and I've had to brush it off because I didn't want to ask - but since we're on the subject?" Beth rambled, Daryl shrugged.

"Fourty-two. Fourty-three next April," Daryl replied, watching as his girlfriend's eyes widened slightly at the age difference but she seemed to shrug it off. "Hopefully I'm not too old for ya!" He half-joked and Beth chuckled.

"You're not, I promise."

* * *

As the day went by, Beth began to grow more and more tired as the two swam and later walked along the beach. Once they changed clothes and were sure that they were ready to leave; Beth took the opportunity to ask Daryl about his back and the scar beneath his eye after they got into the car. While Daryl pulled out of the parking spot and began to drive them back to her place, so he could drop her off, he thought of the best way to answer the questions.

"The scar on my face was from an accident. When I was a kid, I was playing baseball and the pitcher threw the ball, and hit me in the eye. Knocking me out cold and crushing my eye socket. I had to have it repaired and that's why I have the scar on my face," Daryl explained, his tone sounding more serious than anything with a slight hint of nervousness at the end. "As for my back? My parents weren't the best people which is why Merle is the way he is and why I'm covered in scars. Dad was abusive and an addict; my mom was an alcoholic and neglectful." He carried on, his fingers gripping the steering wheel a little tighter as he drove, causing his knuckles to turn pink.

Beth reached to take hold of Daryl's hand. Though this was the first time the two had held hands, she wanted to show support for him, and to show him that she cared. Daryl allowed his fingers to intertwine with hers as he kept his eyes locked on the road. "I'm sorry to hear that," Beth replied softly, as she bit down on her bottom lip. "Since I asked you something so personal; I guess I should tell you about the scars you've seen on my wrists."

"You don't have to do that." Daryl commented, Beth hushed him though so she could speak before he could protest any further.

"When I was seventeen, I was in a car accident with my mother and my older brothers. Their names were Billy and Shawn," Beth began to explain as she swallowed the hardened lump forming in her throat. "My mother was killed on impact. Shawn died on the way to the hospital and Billy died a week after the accident," the blonde continued, a single tear escaping past her eye lid as it fell effortlessly along her cheek.

"I suffered from broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a broken leg. After that, I spent my time in my room healing and crying every day from survivor's guilt." Beth added, Daryl's heart sank in his chest as he listened to Beth explain what had happened to her. "It got so bad that I had to have therapy for five years and that was only after I had tried to kill myself. I cut my wrists, thinking I wanted to die, and almost did but Maggie found me before it was too late," Beth muttered, finally breaking down as Daryl pulled the car over to park it on the side of the road. As soon as he took his seat belt off, he gently wrapped his arms around Beth, and held her close to him.

Daryl had the feeling that she hadn't told anyone that before. "At least it made my dad quit drinking all the time. Before the accident, before I lost my siblings and my mom, and before my suicide attempt - he was wasted all the time. I hated seeing him that way, too," Beth continued to ramble emotionally, her body trembling as Daryl held her to try and comfort her, while she explained everything to him.

"...I can relate," Daryl muttered. He knew what it was like to see his father and mother both drinking all the time. Though his parents seemed to be damn good at hiding their problems from everyone except him and Merle. "None of this is your fault. Don't blame yourself," Daryl added, placing a kiss against her forehead. "It's not your fault, Beth."

"You're the only person that has ever treated me like it wasn't. Thank you!" Beth whispered, gripping the back of his red t-shirt as she held Daryl close to her, while listening to the gentle thud of his heart beating against his ribs. Beth finally stopped crying and though Daryl wasn't showing it; he felt like his heart had broken while he listened to her explain the ordeal. He knew he would be writing later that night to keep himself awake and to avoid dreaming of bad things. Like his past, his parents, and things involving Beth's past as well. Once he refastened his seat belt, Daryl started his car again, and drove off in the direction of Beth's home. Which they arrived at almost ten minutes later.

* * *

Daryl and Beth kissed each other goodnight and he headed for home; while Beth went inside to shower, get settled in, and Skype with Maggie. Once her PJs were on, Beth turned on her computer, then sent her sister a text to expect a Skype call. The minute Maggie answered, she could tell something was up with her sister, because Beth wasn't beaming with joy. "Oh God, what happened?" Maggie asked, sounding concerned.

"Nothing, he and I had a serious talk on the way back to my place. Everything was great though. Really!" Beth replied, trying to sound a little more cheerful because up until she decided to tell Daryl about her scars, everything was amazing. "He's fourty-two by the way. So he's eighteen years older than me since you wanted to know so freakin' bad," Beth added.

"You're not at all bothered by that big of an age difference?" Maggie questioned, wondering how her sister could date someone that was so much older than her, but she didn't want to question it after knowing how she felt about the man. "Daddy's gonna flip out you know."

"I really couldn't care less about what he thinks!" The blonde retorted, she didn't think it was any of his business since she was a legal adult. "I'm an adult so why should it be any of his concern?" She added, sounding annoyed by her sister's words and the idea of her dad trying to get in-between her and Daryl. "He's a really good man so it shouldn't matter."

"You're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," Maggie agreed. "Wanna tell me how everything went?" She questioned, Beth finally smiled and shrugged lightly in response. Her older sister beamed as she watched Beth glow with happiness and the thought of spending time with Daryl. She loved seeing her happy like that, after all.

"I went over to his place and we ate sushi that he made himself. Then we went swimming in his pool and finally...we kissed and it was amazing," Beth spilled, beaming as she thought back to the night before. "Then he asked me to stay over and I did." She confessed, hoping her sister wouldn't get the wrong idea - yet she did and Beth regretted saying what she had. Seeing her sister's stern look, Beth made a face in response. "Don't look at me like that. I slept in his bed but we didn't have sex!"

"Good! Carry on," Maggie replied and smiled.

"Then today, we went to this little bistro that had the most amazing pizza. I'm taking you and Glenn there when you come down! But, yeah, anyway after that we spent the day at the beach. After that, we left and talked about some things in the car - and here I am." Beth rambled, brushing a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear as she yawned. She was exhausted despite the fact that it wasn't that late at all.

Hearing what sounded like a loud crash coming from downstairs; Maggie's eyes widened as she heard Glenn shouting for her. "I better go and make sure he hasn't hurt himself too bad," Maggie commented about Glenn. "Talk to you tomorrow!"

"Okay, goodnight! Tell Glenn to be more careful!"

"Will do. Night!"


End file.
